Journey
by Kats
Summary: The gang's on a journey with Xellos as the guide. Will I ever get Amelia and Zel together? Ish updated again! Huzzah!
1. The paths of many fangirls....lead to Ze...

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Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers, I don't own Lina, Naga, Amelia, or any other Slayers character.

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Dedication: This fic is dedicated to Havoc, an acquaintance of mine who suffered great losses due to the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centers and the Pentagon. He showed such a strong spirit and warm heart that I feel that this dedication is the very least I could do to show him my support. And since he's…well, he knows what he is, any lemons that come from this fic are also dedicated to him…

[The views expressed in this fic are not necessarily those of the people this fic is dedicated to.]

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Chapter One: ' The paths of many fangirls…invariably lead to Zelgadis!'

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The sun shone brightly, white clouds skidding across a brilliant blue sky. The white tents and stall covers of the fairgrounds flapped in the brisk breeze, pendants and banners flapping like they were alive and glad to be. The air was scented with the smells of a thousand different kinds of foods, flowers, and other perfumes. Everyone was in a good mood, nothing could happen on a day like today.

Part of the fair blew up.

It was a beautiful explosion and nobody got really hurt. However, there was a lot of smoke and the magicians stall next to the stall that originally blew up started smoking and then a lot of funny looking creatures started bounding/walking/flying/galloping/oozing out of it, sending lots of people into a panic.

" Ah, that was a good sword too Lina!"

"Don't complain, if it can't stand up to one fireball, how are you supposed to protect me when I can't do magic?"

Gourry stood looking thoughtful in front of the crater that used to be the magic swords both and holding the smoking handle of what used to be a sword. The stall's owner sat just to the side of the crater, his jaw working but no sounds coming out.

" Yosh!" Lina yelled, winding up her arm like a pitcher, a fireball where the baseball would have been. " Get ready Gourry!"

Gourry tossed the sword hilt to the side and grabbed a new sword from a pile to his left. He held the new sword up like a baseball bat and swung it experimentally a couple times, then crouched down with it slung over his shoulder. Lina took that as a cue to pitch and wound herself up, then unleashed the fireball at Gourry. The ball of flame rushed towards him and he swung the sword around to connect squarely with it. The fireball pushed against the sword as Gourry strained to repel the burning flames, and suddenly the fireball was catapulted over Lina's head, across a couple of tents, and blew up in the distance.

" Alright," Lina said, stepping across a pile of debris from the first two swords that they had 'tried out'. " I think we finally found your new sword Gourry!"

" You think so," Gourry asked, rubbing his hand along the blade. " It does feel nice and its balance is good."

Lina took the sword from Gourry's hands and let her expert gaze slide along the blade and the hilt.

" Yup," she said, " a nice enchanted sword, probably done by Matroni or Giglento."

" Who," Gourry asked, scratching behind his head.

" You don't know?" Lina asked, turning to Gourry. " I thought you were all into swords. Matroni and Giglento are two of the most famous enchanted sword makers of all time."

" I am, but I never really needed to research enchanted swords before, I always had the Sword of Light." Gourry gave a sigh.

" It's okay," Lina said, handing the sword back to him and turning to the stall keeper. " We'll take it."

The man just sat and stared at her. His jaw worked and little grunting noises came out and he gestured to the hole in the ground where his stall used to be, then gestured at Lina. He did this several times as Lina gave him a level look.

" Alright then," Lina said, turning on her heel and walking away. " Common Gourry."

" But what about paying the man?" Gourry asked, following her out of the now deserted aisle. " He's going to be mad when he gets out of that thing he's in."

" It's called shock." Lina said, pulling out a bag of goodies that she had purchased earlier. She handed Gourry some meat on a stick, then took one out for herself. " He'll get over it, and if he doesn't, I have a fireball with his name on it. Besides, it's his fault he didn't demand payment for the sword. I mean, I would've paid for it."

" Really," Gourry asked through a mouthful of meat, amazed that Lina would voluntarily pay for anything. " What are we going to do next Lina?"

" What do you mean," she asked turning her head to look over her shoulder at him.

" Well," he said, taking another bite. " I've got a new magic sword, you've got a bunch of treasure from those bandits over on the other side that mountain, those Hawk's Eye people, and our last adventure is over. Amelia's at the palace, Zelgadis is wandering around looking for his cure, --"

" Stupid, stupid dolt," Lina said under her breath. " Amelia doesn't care about that."

" -- Filia's off taking care of Valgaav with Jilias, and…and…that lizard man in her Maces and Vases shop™ and no one knows where Xellos took off to. "

" Well," Lina said, looking up at the sky. " I really don't know. I guess we could always just keep traveling…" she remembered when they had been alone at the fire in the desert, the campfire crackling and snapping and Gourry's words echoing in her brain, ' How long I'll protect you? I don't know, the rest of my life.'

" STOP THAT GIRL!" Came a yell from behind them. " She destroyed my tent and stole a magic sword!"

" Looks like that stall keeper woke up," Lina said, holding her hands parallel to each other and letting a fireball form between them.

" Yosh," Gourry said, drawing his new sword.

" FIREBALL!" Lina yelled, thrusting her hands out and letting it loose at the stall keeper who stood in front of a large crowd of men. The man only had a split second to see the fireball racing towards him, his eyes widening, before it hit.

That was the official signal to start the free for all.

Lina went in, cape and hair flapping and spells flying every which way, Gourry right behind her with his sword drawn and up. Immediately the other guys went flying. Lina aimed a Freeze Brittle at a man with a huge double edged battle ax, freezing him where he stood, but immediately another took his place.

" How you doing over there?" She yelled to Gourry.

" Yosh!" Gourry yelled, " Action! Muscles brought into play! Something physical!"

" SHIN'NE!" Came a yell from behind Lina. She turned and saw a large man looming behind her, both hands raised behind his head, ready to swing a killing blow with his sword. Lina fell on her back, bringing her hands up to ready a spell, her eyes widening as she realized that she had no time to chant the incantation.

" DISFANG!"

Needless to say, the guy went got pinned pretty fast…heck, everybody on that side of the street got pinned pretty fast. The jerks lay twitching while their shadows were pinned to the ground, and seeing how even the magician stall owner was a teenybopper, Zelgadis didn't think they'd be getting free anytime soon. Zelgadis stepped over to where Lina had fallen on the ground and offered his hand to her. She took it and he pulled her to her feet, Gourry heading over from where he had just punted the Magicians stall owner into the distance.

" Zelgadis!" Gourry exclaimed. " What are you doing here?"

Zelgadis pulled his hood up over his face and his mask up over his mouth and half turned from them. " Do you think we could go somewhere private to talk?" He asked.

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	2. What is the drink of the drool worthy?

Chapter Two: ' Embarrass! What is the drink of the drool worthy?' 

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" Sure!" Lina said, winking and giving him thumbs up, " I know just the restaurant!"

Zelgadis stumbled a bit, " Restaurant?" He asked weakly.

" Un," Lina answered happily, walking down the street briskly, Gourry right besides her. " They've got a great hotpot!"

" Yare yare." Zelgadis sighed. Some things were eternal.

The meal that followed was something the town had never seen, nor would they ever see again…at least, that's what the town folk were hoping. Lina and Gourry went through hotpot after hotpot, loafs of bread, piles of shellfish, tons of meat on a stick. And for all that food was flying everywhere, not a single morsel of it went uneaten.

Zelgadis had a cup of coffee.

" Yum!" Lina said, her mouth full to the brim with food. " Oishii, Oishii, Oishii!" She worked her cheeks around a large chunk of steak. " Now this is the kind off food you expect to find in a port town, ne Zelgadis?"

" Aa," he said, sipping absently from his now lukewarm cup of coffee, wondering if a waitress would be brave enough to wade through the food storm in order to get him a fresh cup.

Lina and Gourry had their forks locked over the last string of sausage. They glared at each other, Gourry obviously straining to keep his fork in the arena. Suddenly, Lina reached up and tickled him in his under arm, causing him to yell and fall backwards. Triumphantly, Lina grabbed the string of sausage and ate it.

" Yum," she said again.

" Lina," Gourry looked up at her from the floor with big eyes. " That was the last string!"

" Oh hush," she said, " I bought you your sword."

" No you didn't," Gourry said, raising his arm so he could look at the sword in question. " You stole it from that shopkeeper."

" I what?" Lina said threateningly, looming over Gourry.

" Nothing!" Gourry said, backing down. That done, Lina looked over at Zelgadis, to see that he had somewhat of an eye twitch.

" You…tickled him." Zelgadis said, lowering his coffee cup from his lips. " And you knew where to tickle him." His eyebrow went up even farther, to disappear beneath his hair. " Someone's getting friendly with their protector, ne?"

" N…Nani!?" Lina yelled, blushing almost the color of her hair. " I did not!"

" Whatever you say o harbinger of doom."

" And just what do you mean by that?" She yelled, letting her classic 'Lina's pissed' fangs into view. " I'm sick of being called Dragon Spooker, Enemy of all who live and That Flat Chested Little Kid!" She was almost bellowing at this point.

" Well," Zelgadis said, leaning back in his chair, " Whenever we run into each other, we tend to embark on a quest to save the world or some other world. Which implies in the end that there is something to save it from, which means, Lina, that whenever the old gang gets together, something really wrong and twisted is going to happen."

" You are correct." Stated Xellos from behind Zelgadis's chair and holding a cup of tea.

Zelgadis went down pretty fast.

Glaring up at Xellos from his new vantage point from the floor, and sporting that trendy new fashion of coffee stains all over his cloths, Zelgadis looked less then thrilled to see the other droolable Xell.

[Much like 'The other white meat' aids, its 'The other droolable Xell/Zel'™…sorry, just had to throw that in]

" Why Zelgadis-kun," Xellos said, wagging his finger at Zel and letting his teacup disappear into thin air. " You don't look happy to see me. And after I took all this trouble to bring Princess Amelia too! Tsk tsk, how rude!"

" Amelia," Zelgadis said, surprised, " You brought Amelia?"

" Ah, poor Zelgadis-kun, your curse is starting to effect your hearing."

" Lay off Xellos," Lina said, standing, " what's the deal this time? God from another world trying to take over? A Phibrizzo wannabe?"

" Nothing like that," Xellos said, grinning.

" Well then what?" Lina said, exasperated.

" Sore wa--" he started, but Lina grabbed him by the collar and dragged him down to eye level.

" You give me that 'It's a secret' stuff," she threatened, " And I'll rip out whatever internal organs you Mazoku have."

" My, my, Lina-san, such anger is really quite beautiful on you." Xellos said.

Lina let go of Xellos and turned to Gourry and Zelgadis. " You know what to do," she told them.

Taking a deep breath, the two of them reached inside the folds of their robes (or armor in Gourry's case) and pulled out…

Megaphones.

" Life is wonderful," they sang at Xellos through them. " Life is great, life is wonderful!" Gourry's eyes were stars and Zelgadis's had a glazed look about them (through actual happiness or just trying to block the fact that he was actually doing something so stupid in public from actually reaching his mind…your pick). Pretty space enfolded them as they chanted a positive message at Xellos.

Xellos looked physically ill. His face was white and he backed up against the restaurant wall. He fell to his knees, his eyes clamped shut, in obvious physical pain.

" Minna!" Came a voice from the stairs off in the corner, saving Xellos, " Your all here!…except for Filia, but that's okay. It's so good to see you!"

Lina, Gourry, Zelgadis and Xellos, even though Xellos already knew, turned to see who it was. And who should it be but…Amelia! The lover of justice! The purveyor of peace! The dork who had her shirt on backwards!

" Um," Lina said, motioning Amelia down the stairs a little so she could whisper to her. " Amelia, it's great to see you and all…but…your shirt's on backwards."

Amelia blushed, her first time to see Zelgadis in a while and she had to go and make a stupid mistake like that. What on earth was he going to think about her now!? 

Turning an even brighter red at catching Zelgadis staring at her and thinking that he must be staring at her shirt, she turned around and ran back upstairs. Xellos turned and saw Zelgadis looking rather dazed at where the rather obviously grown up princess had been standing and nudged him with the jeweled end of his staff (that phrase, my friends, has several interpretations, let's stick to the rated G one for now).

" Grown up a bit, hasn't she?" He asked Zelgadis…and got no answer.

Zelgadis could do little but stare at where Amelia had been standing and think, " Wow! And…Wow!"

Amelia's hair was now down to her shoulders, dark as ever but somehow more…sexy. Where her bosoms had seemed large on a girl like her when they had last traveled a couple of years ago, she 'fitted' them now, having grown several feet taller, and filled out a bit…where as Lina seemed permanently stuck on 'itty bitty'. 

Abruptly, our hunk of stony goodness blinked, coughed a little and took another sip of his ice-cold coffee. 

" Why'd she go back upstairs?" He asked Lina…who gave him a funky look.

" You okay?" She asked, attempting to feel his forehead and only managing to prick her hands on his hair. " Ouch! Anyway, she had to change her shirt. Didn't you notice? Ooh!" Lina finally caught on and a big smile crossed her face. "Zelly has a crush on Amelia now does he?!"

" What are you talking about?" Zelgadis quickly slipped his poker face back on. " I was just as surprised as you were, that's all."

" Uh huh," Lina said smugly, giving him a wry smile, " That's why you still don't notice that you spilled your coffee all over your pants."

" What!" Zelgadis leaped up, looking down at his now dripping wet, and dark brown trousers. " Grand. I've booked a room next door, I'll go and get my clothes--"

" Nope," Lina said, holding up her hand. " I'm not going to have a companion of mine walk around in public looking like he pissed himself. Gourry, would you go next door and get them?"

" Sure," Gourry stood up, " What's your room number Zel?"

" 52," Xellos answered.

Lina facevaulted onto the floor. " NOT THAT XEL! YOU IDIOT!" 

" 43," Zelgadis said to Gourry, giving Xellos a sour look. " If they want some identification, which I doubt, then just tell them that the demonic, cold-hearted swordsman said to back off."

" Wheeeeeew," Lina whistled. " You've gotten more authoritative since we last saw you, which brings me to ask why you're here, Xellos is here and just how he managed to convince Amelia to come with him."

" Oh that was easy," Xellos said, holding a finger up, " All I had to do was say that Zelgadis--" …*Thunk*

With that, Xellos fell to the floor as a fist plowed into the top of his head.

" Hehe," Amelia said, helping him up, " Xellos-san is such a kidder! He told me that there was a mission requiring all of us to get together. He also said that it had to be done by a certain date."

" So?" Lina said, leaning back. " I don't do errands for Mazuko."

" Ah, but Lina-san," Xellos said, half up, leaning on his staff, " it's not just for me. I've been directed by a power even higher then Zellas Mettalium to get you all to a certain location by the end of the fall. If you don't comply, I'm to escort you there forcefully."

" Sorry, no deal," Lina said, leaning back in her chair and picking her teeth with a toothpick. " Gourry and I are going to Mipross Island for the winter and that would put a serious crimp in our plans."

Eye-twitch from all around.

" You and Gourry," Zelgadis started, eyebrow disappearing once again, " are going to Mipross Island for the winter…together…………all winter?"

" So what?" Lina said, blushing lightly, partially from embarrassment, partially from anger. " What are you implying?"

" Nothing," Zelgadis said, looking away. He wasn't still alive today because he didn't know when to shut up…that and his stone skin. Yup, his skin definitely played a role too.

" Lina-san!" Amelia cried, " You can't become a woman of loose morals, even if it is Gourry-san!"

" WHAT!" Lina cried, standing up quickly, " Why is everyone grilling me?! I don't have to take this, common Gourry!" With that she grabbed Gourry, who had just re-entered the room, and pulled him by the scruff of his neck backwards. The pants Gourry had been holding had been thrown up in the air when Lina had pulled him out came floating down to land on Amelia's head. She pulled them off, looked at them, blushed and handed them (without looking at him) to Zelgadis.

" Oh dear," Xellos said. " She'll have my head if you aren't all there. I'd better do something about this." And with that, he disappeared.

Silence pervaded the restaurant, many of the patrons realizing that the people who had just been in there were not likely human and that the last two of the party might not be either. A waitress appeared and started refilling Zelgadis's cup with nary a clink or sound.

" Um," Zelgadis said, looking down and blushing very lightly as he addressed Amelia. " Would you like some coffee?"

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Whew, # 2 done and not even a dent in the storyline yet. Tedious huh? Oh well, I've got more to do and a plot to come up with so stay with me. What is Xellos's purpose? Why is Zelgadis acting that way towards Amelia? All those questions and more will be answered in Chapter 3, ' Dark! Depressing! Thoughts turned inside out!' 

Doomo to all you readers who've actually read this far. ^^;; I'm not that good at this kind of thing, and I hope that you all enjoy it.


	3. Dark! Depressing! Thoughts turned inside...

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Disclaimer: I was totally sleep deprived, and I'm not saying that like it's a bad thing.

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Notes:

Kats: ^-^ Ohaiyo readers!

Readers: Ohaiyo!

Kats: [Looking at her reviews from the last chapter and picking one out]

Here we go…'P.S., is 'she' the LON?'. Okay, the 'she' that Xellos mentioned is NOT the Lord of Nightmares. Let your imaginations run wild here people….

^-^;; I lied.

This chapter is far more about Zelgadis's thoughts on Amelia then true WAFF between them.

Chapter Three: Dark! Depressing! Thoughts turn inside out!

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Amelia sat with Zelgadis, brushing her hair over her shoulder to keep it out of her face. Zelgadis was stuck staring at his coffee cup out of embarrassment and didn't notice.

" Ano, Zelgadis-san…" Amelia started.

" Yes?"

" Maybe you should go get your new pants on." She stated shyly, looking down at her lap. " Since Gourry-san brought them to you."

" Oh, yheah, right," Zelgadis said, it being his turn to blush. " I'll be right back." He rose and went to ask the owner of the inn if there was a change room he could use…and earning some odd stares on his way there.

" I can't believe this," Amelia thought. " This is just awkward and…and…awkward! I have no idea how to deal with this situation. What was I thinking? What was HE thinking? How did I manage to get all the way downstairs without noticing that I had my shirt on backwards?!" She looked to the hallway he had just disappeared. " He's still just as gorgeous, he'll never notice me, I'm still just a little girl!"

Zelgadis, meanwhile, was busy thinking similar thoughts.

" Why did they have to land on her head!" He lamented. " And she saw me staring at her like I'm some kind of horny chimera or something…okay, I'm not going to let myself go there.' 

He looked down at the soiled pants that lay, smelling strongly of coffee, in his lap. Putting them in the corner of the room, he sat down to get his new ones on, but quickly got distracted again. 

' I wonder if she's disappointed that I didn't find my cure?' he started thinking to himself. ' I'm disappointed, but not too much…I've kind of gotten used to this body, not that I don't want my old body back, no I do, but it's just…why is my left leg in my right pant leg?" He mused this to himself as he looked down at the tangled garments. Slowly, as if not to startle himself, he put them back in the right holes. " She's not a little girl anymore, she's a mature young lady." He told himself. " She has always had good sense, but it was always a little…extreme." He looked out the window of the small 'changing room' and stared past the dingy walls of the alleyway to the thing strip of blue, going purple sky. Leaning against the window, he allowed himself a brief moment of wondering what it'd be like if he had his body back and was able to be a normal person…

In a desperate attempt to save his sanity, he focused on getting his legs into the right holes for them. Then he sighed and leaned back, shirtless, against the window ledge while sitting on the bench, and closed his eyes. This wasn't turning out the way he had expected it to. He had known as soon as he had heard the rumors of a sorceress with a tall swordsman that had stolen a highly valuable magical sword that it had to have been Lina and Gourry. He had not expected to find Lina in a less than upper hand position. He had really not expected Xellos to turn up in the middle of his rather therapeutic teasing of Lina. That had shocked him, but what had shocked him even more was finding out that Amelia was with him. It had touched a part of him that hadn't been touched in years…jealousy. Not that he cared to think about that, he mused, it was just that he didn't want a psycho like Xellos hanging around with Amelia, much less giving her 'rides'.

Sighing, Zelgadis sat up and rummaged through a small pouch attached to the inside of the pair of his old pants. He hadn't left it anywhere else after almost losing it in a baggage mix-up in a small village. Gently opening the sack, he took out the item and held it in his palm. 

Amelia's old bracelet reflected the light back slightly, appearing smooth and round beneath his palm. He hadn't known why he had kept it with him at first, maybe just for Amelia's sake, just in case he ever ran back into her, he had rationalized. But as he had traveled farther and farther away, he had started displaying more prominently, on his canteen at first, finally getting to the point where it was prominently displayed on his sash, the only bit of color on his ensemble. He hadn't known why he had displayed it so 'colorfully' on his clothing, but after he had gotten off a small caravan and discovered his sash, and subsequently, her bracelet, missing, he had gone into a complete panic. Because he hadn't known for about a day, he was forced to ride hard for a day and a half to catch up and get it back. It was at that point when he had had to admit to himself that he liked Amelia.

He leaned back again, holding the bracelet up to swirl and reflect the light.

" Why?" He asked quietly. " Why do I care so much?" He closed his eyes.

Time passed.

" Oi!" A voice called from outside his doorway, " Oi!"

" What is it?" Zelgadis asked, sitting up. " What do you want?"

The door opened a crack and a large man with a thick beard peeked in.

" Your lady friend's fallen asleep at the table and we wanted to know if you were still here, or if you had ditched her." The man's voice indicated that Zelgadis would have gotten a less then cordial greeting next time if he had ditched her. " Where do you want me to take her?"

" She fell asleep?" Zelgadis said, looking surprised and shucking his shirt on over his head. " How long have I been in here?"

" A good two hours mate, did you fall asleep as well?" One of his eyebrows was visiting his hairline, expressing disbelief on 'that' theory to Zelgadis.

" No," Zelgadis denied. " I was just thinking. I wasn't expecting to see her here."

" Ahhh," the man said, nodding, " That way huh, well, she's asleep, passed right out, from exhaustion I think, and we wanted to know where to move her."

" I'll come take care of it," Zelgadis said, rising, " I have a place I can take her to rest."

They walked down the hall in a companionable silence…at least, that's how the big guy thought of it. Zelgadis didn't really think about it at all, he was busy wondering where the hell Lina had gone. Usually Xellos would have brought her back by now, or she and Gourry would have been dragged back by their stomachs. He was debating whether or not to leave Lina a message here when the big inn-keeper waved him into yet another little side room and all thoughts ceased.

There lay Amelia on her back; one arm draped over her stomach, proving it to be flat under her tan traveler's clothes. Her face was turned towards him as she breathed slowly in and out, her face vulnerable, showing her tiredness, her emotional exhaustion. Zelgadis's heart melted a little when he saw her like that, but he shoved it away mercilessly. He couldn't afford to fall in love while he wasn't human. How could he? Love was a human emotion, he wasn't human, thus he shouldn't allow himself to love.****

He leaned over and picked her up in his arms, but not before he felt like he was invading her privacy. This was too much.

' What am I doing?' He questioned himself, as he was lead to the side door of the inn and into a dark alleyway. ' I shouldn't be doing this to her.' He walked up into the front of the larger inn next door to their eating place. The inn-keeper shot him a strange look but let him pass without saying a word. Zelgadis was an oddity, but obviously not one to be messed with from the look of the sword on his sash. Moving carefully, Zelgadis managed to get up two flights of stairs to the room, and from there to his bed. He placed her carefully upon it, settling her as not to disturb her. Placing his sword in the corner, he sat in a small stool in the corner of a decent, but not stellar room. The bed lay in the corner of the room, just a simple bed. A small sink with a privacy curtain and a basin was across the room in it's own little corner. The walls were a light cream that had been recently repainted, but had obviously seen better days. All in all, not a terrible place, but not to great either. Zelgadis sighed and leaned back, preparing himself to sleep upright all night…there was no way he could sleep on the floor with Xellos around and definitely not with Amelia asleep in the same room with him looking the way she did.

Zelgadis stretched out. ' I wonder what Lina and Gourry are doing?' he wondered just before he fell asleep.

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**** [INTERRUPTION!!]

Normally, I wouldn't do spoilers for this story to save my life, but I would like to reassure all you rabid Zelgadis fans that he will indeed, be feeling the love by the time I'm done with this fic. Well, jeez that section was filled with angst. When the hell did that get in there?

[End Interruption]

See you next chapter:

Toasty roasty! Will Gourry learn?


	4. Toasty Roasty! Will Gourry learn?

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Notes: A huge thanks goes out to the 'Queen of Swords' for letting me use her sword, the FireDrake, in here. It's a brief mention to a spectacular series that she wrote, entitled, 'Zelgadis on the Couch' (ZOTC) and Zelgadis on the Road (ZOTR).. Her web-site can be found at www.queenofswords.com and has a large selection of other Anime fanfiction besides Slayers. 

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Lina had stormed out of the restaurant, her cheeks flaming and her mind in a haze of embarrassment. She fumed as she stormed along, incoherent thoughts about things they hadn't brought up, but had implied, swept through her mind. She blushed again. Gourry, bumping along behind her, had figured that it would be best to be quiet and just take the bruises. Xellos, sitting on the edge of a building, sipped tea and tilted his head, following the couple with his closed eyes. 

Lina swept into along the street, people jumping out of her way. Innocent town folk having an innate sense that lets them know who can randomly blow up their town on a whim. Lina was one of those people, for all of her short stature. She only stopped when she reached their inn and were going up the stairs. At that point Gourry decided to let her know that being dragged down the street was all fine and good, but getting his tailbone dragged up stairs was another thing all together.

" Lina…um, LINA!" He said louder, yanking slightly on the sleeve of the arm dragging him. That caused her to startle and drop him, somewhat unceremoniously, onto the steps and he took the opportunity to stand up.

" Lina," he asked as he made sure that his shoulder guards were on straight. " Why do you let them get to you? I don't know why, but you usually get upset when they show up for the first time, and then you go red and yank me out of where ever we happened to be and drag me halfway around town before you remember that I'm there and I've forgotten what I was going to say."

" Why do I let them get to me." She supplied helpfully, leaning somewhat listlessly against a wall that the staircase ran up. Gourry nodded, his train of thought back from it's minor pit stop. " That's right," he said, leaning against the opposite wall. A man who looked like he was going to go upstairs got a look at Lina's narrowed eyes, Gourry's sword, and decided that a little more to drink wouldn't hurt him. 

Gourry put his hands behind his head. " They only say those things to get you going you know." Lina gave him a sharp look. 

" What?" He said defensively, bringing his hands out and defending himself. " You know I'm right. You give them something to joke about."

" And when exactly did you come to this realization?" Lina asked, looking at him with curiosity and a good healthy dose of embarrassment. If he was smart enough to realize that fact then he might be smart enough to realize…

" Besides," Gourry went on," with such small cleavage---"

*Eye-twitch*

"--and that bad attitude---"

*Fist clench*

"--and big appetite--"

*Patience snapping*

WHAM!!!

The scene abruptly changed as we find Lina standing over the still twitching legs of Gourry sticking out of the floor. The guy downstairs was fairly glad he hadn't stepped between those two. At this point Xellos discretely entered the small bar downstairs…if teleporting onto the bartender's head can ever be called discrete. There immediately commenced a large shout and much teleporting and throwing of mugs. 

That effectively interrupted Lina and Gourry's argument…or more correctly, Lina pounding Gourry's head into a wall and yelling at him about what a clod he was. The only coherent thought that was going through Gourry's mind was that love hurt…at least until he registered that Lina had stopped pounding him and was leaning over the side railing.

" Hmmm," she said, looking over the edge. " What's the commotion?" She leaned out farther and was almost toppled from her precautions position when Xellos teleported in front of her and smiled.

" Lina-san," he wagged his finger. " You shouldn't lean out that far or you might fall and hurt yourself. I'd get in trouble if that happened, she'd be sure to blame me."

Lina managed to regain her balance and looked up at Xellos from her slightly inferior position and glowered. " Why are you here?" She asked, her arms crossed. " Don't tell me that you wanted to make sure that we got to the inn safely…and I'd bet a gold coin that you were the cause of that commotion…" she ducked a thrown ale mug and grinned her fangs at him. " I see I was right."

Xellos smiled and floated down a little so he could whisper in her ear, " How should I stop this commotion Lina-san, I'm sure you have an idea."

Her face went red and she was ready to cast a fireball when Xellos turned mid-air, floated towards the angry barkeep and went monster…that didn't exactly help too much though.

Lina yelled and jerked back, Gourry putting a protective arm around her and slinging her behind him by automatic process. They both knew Xellos pretty well, but neither had ever seen him in monster form, which they associated with blowing up. Xellos 'stood' there, blackness snapping out of jaws lined with razor sharp white teeth. Lina stared in shock as the form glowered at the barkeeper…and effectively cleared the entire hotel.

" Rather impressive, isn't it?" Xellos asked from behind Gourry and Lina's heads. " Took me about five seconds to think up." They both faceplanted on the floor, while Xellos took out yet another cup of tea and sipped it, looking at his creation. " Humans are frightened so easily," he lamented. " They really should get out more."

" Xellos," Lina said in her deep warning growled, " What the heck was that?"

" Why, sore wa himitsu desu!" He said cheerfully, grinning like the madman that Lina was starting to suspect he was. " If I told you then it would ruin my wonderful surprise." He glanced down at the empty room. " I wanted to make sure that we talked in private."

Lina groaned and rubbed her head. This was going to be a long day. " Common," she said, motioning Gourry and Xellos downstairs. " If I'm going to listen to this then I'm going to listen to this with food in my belly!" Gourry nodded agreement as they marched downwards. By the time they got to a table, Xellos was already sitting there, leaning back in his chair and holding yet another teacup. Lina eyed the cup oddly.

" Do you ever go anywhere without that thing?" She asked, taking hold of a back of a chair and seating herself. Gourry sat down next to her, leaning his new sword against the edge of the table. There was no one left in the bar and it was oddly quiet…to Lina's dislike. She couldn't find a waitress to take her order, much less a cook to cook it. This wasn't starting out on a good note.

" Why," Lina asked, " do you want us to go with you so badly?" She leaned back and put her hands behind her head. " And why did you tell us that we had to be in a certain place by the end of fall?"

Gourry looked at Lina, then at Xellos, his mental processes taking in the information and then sorting it for processing. Xellos, while Gourry was doing that, took another sip out of his mystery teacup and tilted his head to the side while he pondered how to explain in such a way that it wouldn't ruin his surprise, but would be enough to get her to actually go. He immediately hit upon a gold mine…as it were.

" There's a treasure, " he said, noting how her eyes twitched slightly at the word. " But it is sealed against Mazoku and Dragons. Now, while the monster race isn't the least bit interested in the gold, we are very much interested in a sword that lies with it, it's called FireDrake."

" Why?" Lina asked, sitting up straight, her hair settling around her shoulders as she swung herself forward. Her eyes betrayed her cool demeanor though and said that she had a definite interest in what he had to say afterwards. His eyes slitting even thinner, Xellos leaned foreword, well aware that even through his cool demeanor Gourry was watching him and quite capable of inflicting pain, however slight, on him. His mouth curved in a smile.

" Why, sore wa…himitsu desu!" He said cheerfully, causing Lina and Gourry to faceplant straight off their chairs and into the floor. 

" I," Lina said shakily, as she clawed the table to get herself back upright, " saw that coming a mile away but was helpless to put a Fireball through it. I am not," she continued, " going to work with a sneaky bastard who always says the same thing to any question that might give the people he's working with any information at all."

Xellos faltered his grin not as bright as he got plagued with small sweatdrops all over his head. " Ano," he said, raising a hand, " I've been authorized to pay for the expenses of getting you there."

Lina turned slowly, her bangs covering her eyes as she looked at him slowly. Suddenly she straightened, her eyes coming into the light. They glowed an unhealthy glow…and she started that low chuckling of hers. " Throw in some treasure and I'm in," she said, leaning way over the table and getting in the faltering Xellos's face. His head got some more sweatdrops and he leaned back even further in his chair. The thought of all the expenses he was going to have to pay for and all the money he was going to go through made him grimace. Just because he was Mazuko didn't mean that he wanted to spend anymore money then necessary, and traveling with Lina always made his purse light, no matter if he was the main supplier of cash or not.

" Hai," he said weakly, starting to wish he hadn't offered. Lina was now sure to go out and do extravagant things just because she wasn't paying. Oh Shabringdo, she was going to kill him when she saw the state of their coffers. How was he going to explain it…but then again, all that delicious anger to feed on…his smirk grew bigger as he contemplated how he could come out of this with something in his benefit.

Xellos came out of his wanderings to an empty bar. Gourry and Lina were gone. He teleported up the stairs and listened outside the rooms. Through the doors he could hear Gourry asking Lina questions through the thin walls. Grinning, Xellos decided to check in on them in a few hours. They could certainly convince Amelia to come now that Lina had decided to go, and where Amelia went, Zelgadis followed, whether he admitted it to himself or not; and where Lina went, Gourry followed. He'd better go, she would miss him if he was gone to long…not that that could be a bad thing. Grinning Xellos teleported himself out of the inn.

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Did you ever notice how every single hotel in my story has a restaurant attached to it somewhere? Oh yheah, and how much do I love that teacup? Jeez, I think I'm obsessed with that thing.

Next Chapter: Contemplation! Sleep deprived men!


	5. Sleep Deprived Men!

****

Notes: Ohaiyo min'na! Another chapter, another homework assignment lost. ^-^

Contemplation! Sleep deprived Men!

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Zelgadis was asleep, and that was good.

Then, there was a loud knocking on the door, and that wasn't so good.

Then the door got Fireballed, and Zelgadis woke up, and it wasn't good at all.

*********************

Zelgadis sat jerked in his chair and then sat straight up, giving himself a nasty case of whiplash in the process, and stared at the smoking remains of the door. " Lina," he groaned, " why couldn't this have waited until morning?"

" Because," Lina stated, stepping over the smoking remains, leaving Gourry to accept the hostile stares from the neighboring room's occupants, " we have to get a move on. Xellos explained the whole mission to me and I feel that we should…what time is it?" She asked, looking out at the sky and then sat down next to the now wide-awake Amelia. Truth be told, Lina'd been so preoccupied with the idea of treasure that she hadn't thought about the time of night.

" I don't know," Zelgadis groaned, struggling into an upright posture. " I think, that, it might be the middle of the night. I could be wrong," he said, catching Lina's horrified expression. " It could just be really early morning. When did Xellos talk you into this anyway?"

" Um…," Lina thought as she leaned against a doorframe. " I think it was sunset…What in Ciephelds name have I been doing that took so long?" She turned to Gourry. He thought about it.

" Well," he started out, leaning against the doorframe. " We packed, and then it was dark, but the bar was still open, so we went down to eat, and you started going on to me about trying to get enough money to go somewhere for the summer too, and I told you that couldn't we just waylay some bandits somewhere and take their money and you said---"

" Never mind," Lina said groaning and rubbing her head. " I remember everything clearly now…and by instance, you still haven't told me where you think we should go yet."

" I don't know Lina, I'm not a very good swimmer, so maybe we shouldn't go to the beach."

" Not here!" She hissed at him, looking over her shoulder and grinning while bright red. Amelia just stared at her; her eyes starting to glaze over again and she fell backward onto the bed with a thump. Zelgadis immediately rushed over to check on her. 

" I think you killed her," he joked in a dead serious voice. Lina sighed and waved her hands around a little. 

" I doubt it, teleporting that long distance with Xellos is probably what drained her, that and the fact that he was probably feeding off her emotions."

" What?" Zelgadis said, dropping Amelia unceremoniously back onto the bed. " Why didn't you tell me?"

" Like you didn't know," Lina said calmly, yanking Gourry inside the room before he was belted with a ripe tomato from an occupant down the hall…Lina made sure to get the room number. " Why do you think he always teleported near a place with humans. I'd hazard to guess that he gets a craving for some right after teleportation like the way I do after running for a while. Besides…" she added, as Zelgadis had slipped his poker face back on and that always meant he was going to do a 'rational' argument, " it isn't all from teleportation."

" Um," Zelgadis's face got that light blush you can hardly see, but you know is there but can't really prove cause it's so light. " What do you mean?"

" Well," Lina said, smirking, as she sat next to Zelgadis and Amelia on the bed. Amelia had huddled into a little ball at the beginning of Lina's speech and now was deathly still, trying to pretend to be asleep. " Haven't you wondered why she had to teleport with Xellos at all, why she didn't just Rayewing herself over her?"

" No," Zelgadis answered, his face with a definite blush* now, " I haven't."

" Don't you want to know?" Lina asked, leaning in and giving her evil grin. " I mean, she must be sick or something to not be able to teleport, right?"

" Um," Zelgadis answered, too embarrassed to admit to Lina that he'd even thought about Amelia having her period.

" Why, you must know about---" …Thunk.

And Lina went down as Amelia's unthinking fist plowed into the top of her head. 

" Hehe?" Amelia said, helping Lina onto the bed next to her, causing Zelgadis to get up, grab Lina's feet, and hoist her onto the bed. He then retreated to a chair that had been spared the Fireball. Gourry sat himself on the floor, leaning against the wall, thankful that he wouldn't have to run out of another town in the middle of the night. They sat in silence as Amelia slipped down into the sheets and fell back asleep, incredibly tired.

Time passed.

" Zelgadis," Gourry asked, breaking the soft sound of the two girls breathing lightly, " why don't you just tell Lina that you don't want anything to do with this quest?"

Zelgadis stared off into the dark for a minute. " Because," he answered, after he found what he believed to be a suitable excuse, " I might find my cure on this quest. It might be through pure luck that I stumble across it."

Gourry was silent for a minute.

" You're going to hang around Amelia the same way I follow Lina aren't you?" He asked softly, settling against the wall.

It was quiet for so long that Gourry though Zelgadis might have fallen asleep.

" You know Gourry," Zelgadis finally commented, his voice rising from the dark, " Lina say's your stupid, and a lot of people think that, and I'll admit that I thought so at first as well…but, your really a lot smarter then you let on, aren't you?"

" No," Gourry answered. " Not smarter, just more observant then people think. If I was smarter…I'd be able to figure out what to do to make Lina like me the way I like her."

" She's a difficult woman." Zelgadis said simply. " I know she likes you, she just shows it through the physical. She hasn't had much of a warm, loving family, so she isn't sure how to express herself. You have your work cut out for you."

" Oh, I knew that from the first time we met." Gourry commented. They both held their breath as Lina mumbled in her induced sleep and turned over slightly. " It's just," he resumed, " that I want to do something to please her. I don't think flowers or candy would work to well, but I don't want to just kick the butt of any guy that insults her either, I mean, she does that by herself."

" She's a difficult woman." Zelgadis repeated, looking at the ceiling. " I…know the feeling."

" Yheah," Gourry said, putting his head on his knees. " Sucks to be us, doesn't it."

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* ---- We have definite blush! We have definite blush! Aogah! Aogah! Dive! Dive!

Next Chapter: Long Journey! -_-??? Who's going to drive? 


	6. Long Journey!

Notes:

Yes to the reviewer named Yee, the FireDrake does belong to the Queen of Swords, but I had forgotten to plug her site. I've gone and changed that, but I'll plug her site again. www.queenofswords.com

To the reviewer named Grey…there are any other pairings?

Romance is implied, Xellos lies and all is right in the world

Long Journey! -_-??? Who's going to drive?

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The night had been far too short for Lina's taste, especially when the sun had dive bombed her through the curtains and straight into her sleepy eye. She groaned and turned over, and felt her leg move against someone else's.

That woke her up.

Sitting straight up in bed, she looked around and found Amelia as her bedmate and sighed in relief. Looking around the room, she saw Gourry curled up near the wall and Zelgadis with an uncharacteristically vulnerable look on his face as he slept. Grinning, Lina slipped out of bed, adjusted Gourry's head so he wouldn't get too much of a crick in his neck. She tiptoed over to the wash basin in the corner and poured some water out of the pitcher into it, letting herself stare at the water sparkling in the basin and contemplating everything that had happened to her only yesterday. 

" I can't believe this," she muttered, dipping her hands into the sparkling water. " I was looking foreword to just smashing bandits and taking their gold for a while."

" Your telling me," Amelia said, startling Lina, " I just wanted to be a princess like To-san always wanted me to be, but I always get caught up in quests like this…" she caught Lina's raised eyebrow and realized she had unintentionally insulted her slightly. " Not that I'd ever change anything…" she glanced over at Zelgadis who was still asleep. " I just wish it was under slightly different circumstances."'

" Not I," Lina said, grinning slightly and ducking behind a curtain with Amelia to change. " Action's so much better. Just sitting around is boring."

Amelia grinned, this was the Lina she knew. When they were both dressed decently and Amelia had pulled her hair back into a loose ponytail, they snuck outside the room and tiptoed down the stairs to get some breakfast. Zelgadis awoke first, glancing around and guessing where Lina and Amelia had gone and sat up, stretched, stones groaning, and went to wake up Gourry. Gourry awakened with a start, as though expecting a belt over the head, and looked at Zelgadis with a confused expression on his face.

" Where's Lina?" He asked, attention on the center of everything he knew. " She head out for breakfast already?" His face got a bit of a scowl when he considered the shortage of food that was sure to come after. " She usually wakes me up."

" Amelia's gone too," Zelgadis said, heading towards the doorway and pulling his mask over his face. " Maybe they wanted some…uh," he finished, looking down.

" Some…uh?" Gourry asked, confused.

" Some…girl time." Zelgadis said looking to the side and avoiding Gourry's confused gaze. " You know, to talk."

" Oh…" Gourry said, looking around and then heading towards the doorway. " Well, I think they've probably had enough time by now so lets go eat."

" Um…sure." Zelgadis said, following Gourry and pulling his hood up. He wondered just how much of Gourry's mind was worried about food and how much just wanted to be near Lina.

As they went downstairs Zelgadis could hear the sounds of scurrying waiters and waitresses and smiled. Perhaps he'd been exasperated with earlier with the constant search for restaurants, but it was comforting in a strange way to know that not everything had changed.

Gourry, meanwhile, had reached the bottom step and was striding across the room towards Lina and Amelia's table, a purposeful look on his face. When he got three feet from the table and was plainly heading towards the sausages, Lina gave him a neat little Fireball and watched him get plastered against a wall, startling a couple who had been dining.

" Do't terk mer foard." Lina said, through a mouthful of a gruel-like substance. She swallowed. " Don't take my food," she repeated, pointing her fork at Gourry. " Now, Amelia and I are catching up so you and Zelgadis can go somewhere over there--" she pointed in a random direction, "--and get your own breakfast, now go away." She turned back to Amelia, who had looked at Zelgadis once and then down at her plate, refusing to look up. Lina gave Amelia a sly grin and turned a shrewd gaze at Zelgadis. " You heard me, get a move on." She grasped her plate protectively.

Sighing, Zelgadis followed Gourry over to a table in the side of the restaurant. They had just managed to snag a waitress to take their orders when she looked over their heads at the wall, gave a startled shriek and did a pretty good imitation of disappearing into thin air. Turning, Zelgadis and Gourry found themselves looking up at Xellos…or, to be more precise, Xellos's head. It was sticking out of the wall and grinning at them. They pondered this, that is, until Gourry reached up with a plate and brought it down on Xellos head. Xellos tumbled out of the wall and saved himself just in time to prevent himself from landing on the table. He levitated to a spot, gave a cheery wave to the bartender, who promptly fainted, and surveyed the traveling party. Giving a cheery wave, he disappeared again, but not before Lina had noticed his cloak had been fastened wrong and his trousers weren't fully tied.

They had finally convinced the bartender that they needn't be thrown out, mostly due to the fact that Lina's eyes had gone distinctly feral when it looked as if she might be denied food. After they had eaten their fill, and subsequently eaten the entire stock of food in the inn, they decided to head out, but they ran into one problem…they had no idea where to go. Lina solved that problem when she had pointed out that if they set of in any direction Xellos was sure to pop up to lead them the right way. They decided to head south, along the edge of the ocean and on one of the newly established trade routes that had popped up since the barrier had gone down. Lina strutted along, her stomach full, the ocean wind in her face and Gourry at her heels, everything was right with the world…except for one little detail that nagged her. She watched from the corner of her right eye as Zelgadis snuck a glance at Amelia and then, catching Lina's gaze, stared straight ahead at the road and Lina was unable to tell if he was blushing due to his mouth covering. Looking to the left, she saw Amelia looking straight ahead, her face bearing a light blush that she too had seen Zelgadis's little glance. Lina, being busy with looking at other people, didn't notice the slightly round, grey rock in her path and promptly tripped over it. She cried out as she fell, twisting while she fell and landing on her ankle wrong. Tears came to her eyes but she quickly wiped them away in a swift motion and bending down to heal the ankle. White magic flowed out of her hand and around her ankle, soothing it. When she was done she looked up to see Gourry's large blue eyes staring at her. She blushed immediately and attempted to push him away, but only served in letting him get a grip on her arms and hoist her up onto his shoulder. 

" N-Nani!" Lina spluttered, checking to see what the others thought of it. Zelgadis's eyes were unreadable, he was staring at the ocean quite determinable, and Amelia was busy checking her pack for white magic items she had just remembered that she had brought along. Gourry, meanwhile, had picked up Lina's small bag of trade items, hoisted it over his other shoulder and moved out, Zelgadis and Amelia following close behind. 

" Isn't this cozy," a voice said from right behind Lina, causing her to screech and attach herself to the top of Gourry's head like a frightened, over-caffeinatted squirrel. " Ah, Lina-san, you are so rude to me."

Zelgadis, Amelia and Gourry, and thus Lina, turned to see Xellos standing on the road behind them. He gave Lina his innocent little confused look and let his staff droop a little. 

" Ah, and I came to lead you to your destination too," he said, trying to sound hurt. Lina gave him a very critical stare. 

" You," she said, " are trouble. Even more then me; the first time we were with you, I almost got lost to oblivion because of some Mazoku in need of a shrink, the second time, the world almost got swallowed by a homicidal, suicidal ancient dragon. You practically scream 'End of the World' and you know it. You never show up unless you want to torment us."

" But Lina," he said, allowing his face to pretend to look hurt, " I wasn't directly responsible for those events anymore then you were."

" Yheah, but you're a high level Mazoku who could influence things, whereas I'm only human."

" Ah, but Lina-san," Xellos said." We have little time to dawdle, less she skin me for putting off her 'function'," at this Xellos scowled, his eyes straightening into lines as he contemplated that. " I'm under strict orders to get you to a place by a certain time."

" And who's ordering you around?" Lina asked, curiosity springing like a cat into her eyes. " It certainly can't be Zellas, she'd never sleep with you."

"…" Came from Amelia, Zelgadis and Gourry. Amelia blushed deeply and lowered her head.

" Lina-san," she whispered, trying to dissuade her from going any further. Xellos's face went unreadable.

" What?" He questioned, tilting his head. 

" You heard me," Lina said, releasing her deathgrip from Gourry's head. " I saw the state you were in this morning, and even when you were in battle you're clothes never got that ruffled." She gave Xellos a scathing look. " I'm nineteen, I have some idea of what happens afterwards."

Xellos got a rather eerie grin. " Oh really," he stated, giving a rather suggestive look between Gourry and Lina, " I had no idea you two were that far along."

" FIREBALL!"

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Chapter Seven: Desert rose…Lina?


	7. Desert rose...Lina?

*Blushes and looks down* 

Thanks for all the great reviews! I should get to writing chapter eight, and after that…I think there should be only another two or three chapters before I'm done.

Desert Rose…Lina?

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The group set out again, this time with a slightly crispy Xellos, and headed south again. Xellos had steadfastly refused to reveal the ultimate destination though he did stress again that they had to get there by a certain time. As they traveled farther south, they came across vast expanses of desert, causing Lina and Gourry to want to shrivel up, and the others more inclined to let them cause it'd mean they'd be easier to carry. It was in one vast expanse of this desert that they found their first monster. It was a large toad looking like thing and was easily defeated when both Lina and Gourry attempted to eat it. The next monster was a little more…challenging. It ran at them, charging up the trail, roaring and shaking it's bull like horns. The group watched unimpressed while Lina fried it with a Fireball.

" This country seems to be filled with monsters," Xellos commented while they walked past the twitching remains of the bull one. " Perhaps it would be best for those with magical ability to bring up the front."

They looked at him.

" And who," Lina asked Xellos, " among us doesn't have a magical ability of some kind?"

Grinning Xellos answered, " You in about half a day. I can smell blood on you."

" BOM DE WIND!"

Looking surprised, Lina, who was letting a rather nasty looking Mega Volto die in her hands, looked over at Amelia as Xellos had jumped into a sub-dimension to get out of the way of the attack.

" Jeez," Amelia said, looking at the stunned group. " Oh come on, everybody was expecting me to do that since I found out he was Mazuko."

" Ah," was all Lina could say as Amelia picked her pack back up.

" Let's go Lina," Gourry said, hoisting her to his shoulder.

To everyone's surprise, she hadn't protested and they set out again. This time they didn't run into any demons until well past nightfall. They had set up camp next to a small spring, a refuge in the cooling desert. Looking out of her tent flap, Lina was struck by how much it resembled the desert inside the shrine, the one with the memory of the Ciepheld. Gourry was even sitting by the fire, his new sword leaning against him as he watched for any monsters that Lina and Zelgadis hadn't taken care of. Those had been the stupidest ones, Xellos had said, because he'd spread his 'scent' around and no monster worth his salt even thought he was up to taking a fellow monster of such power on. When asking whether or not he was going to spend the night, Xellos had grinned and said that he had far more comfortable surroundings he was welcome in and took off before Lina could ask him what he meant by that. Gourry had helped Zelgadis, Amelia and Lina set up their separate tents, start the fire, and had barely fought with Lina over the food. Pushing the tent curtain aside, Lina stepped outside and sat down next to Gourry, who looked over at her and gave her an innocent smile. Lina's eyes softened.

" Want something to eat?" He asked, reaching into a pack to grab something. She shook her head no and looked at him again.

" Why are you out here?" She asked him, drawing her knees up against her chest and resting her chin on them. He thought for a second and then looked up at the stars.

" Did you notice Lina, the stars, they're exactly like the ones that were in the desert in the temple."

" Really?" She looked up at them. " I hadn't noticed them when we were in there."

" You were asleep most of the time." He said, smiling as he turned to look at her. " It was a nice feeling, to have you guys in your tents, asleep, trusting me to guard you."

Lina blushed and looked back at her knees. She didn't know what to say, her mind was confused and grasped onto any distraction, like the warm desert wind blowing sand in the cool night, the insects humming around the fire, and Gourry shifting to look back at the flames. 

" I never thought I'd be here," Gourry said softly, " guarding Lina Inverse on her quests, battling monsters, saving the world…"

" Robbing bandits?" Lina filled in.

" Nope," he said, looking back up at the stars, " I knew I was going to be doing that. I just never thought I'd travel with a princess, be amused by her dad, joke with a depressing chimera…"

" He is, isn't he," Lina chuckled. " Sometimes I think he wants to ask Amelia to do things with him, like set up his tent, but he's too shy to. Did you see the way he blushed when you were helping him and called Amelia over, and then took off? Priceless!" She laughed, and Gourry watched her large eyes close with happiness and sighed.

" Lina," he said suddenly, " have you ever thought about what's going to happen after we get to old to travel around all the time?"

She looked at the ground, letting her knees slide out from her grasp and her legs straighten out in front of her and let her hair fall in front of her face. Gourry was deathly afraid that she was upset for some reason, but didn't know it was only to suppress a blush that had formed again over the bridge of her nose.

" Gourry," she said in a very soft tone, " do you have someone waiting for you somewhere?"

" What do you mean?" He asked, looking at her with a puzzled expression.

She turned to face him and he was a little amazed at the wideness of her eyes. " Do you have someone waiting for you at home? A girlfriend, a…a lover?"

He looked at her, at the way her eyes were slightly shiny in the moonlight and tilted his head, looking slightly confused until a little glimmer in the depths of the one eye Lina could see said that he'd gotten the message.

He grinned and took Lina's hand. " Nope," he said, not looking at her. " I was traveling for a reason, all my family has, it's nothing to be ashamed of." He took her hand without looking and gave it a squeeze and smiled when he felt her squeeze back shyly, " I'd like you to meet my parents when we go to Mipross Island this winter," he said quietly.

She was silent for a while, and it'd even got to the point where he thought she'd fallen asleep again, but when she answered, he could hear the grin in her voice and felt relieved.

" I'd like to too," Lina said, grinning and blushing furiously into the dark. She and Gourry weren't looking at each other, but they're hands were tightly intertwined and they stayed that way for a long while. Looking over, Lina saw that his eyes were closed and, after waiting to make sure he was really asleep, she muttered 'baka' under her breath and leaned against his shoulder, letting her head droop against his arm, and closed her eyes. After a couple of minutes, Gourry let his eyes open and looked at the slumbering Lina. 

Grinning like a mad man, he pulled her into a more comfortable position. " Worked twice, and no one to interrupt us this time." He placed his arm on her shoulder, drew her closer, and tilted his head to rest on top of hers.

*********

Amelia was the first one out of her tent the next morning, saw Lina and Gourry, blushed, and dived back into her tent. Several minutes later, when she heard Zelgadis stir in his tent, and then heard him draw the opening of his tent aside, she leapt half out of her tent cover, chunked a rock at his head and then shooed him back into his tent with her hands. He got a good glimpse of the slumbering couple and got the hint, though he didn't see why Amelia had had to throw a fist-sized rock at his head.

" We should wake them up," he told Amelia softly through the walls of their tents.

" But why, " she complained, her voice registering complaint against stirring such an obvious symbol of justice and love.

" Because," Zelgadis said, sighing, " Xellos is sure to show up soon and what's the first thing he's going to do when he sees the two of them like that?"

Amelia was silent for a minute before she conceded the point and the two of them commenced to make the most noise possible without seeming suspicious. Lina was the first to awake, and she quickly pulled away from Gourry, waking him. Glancing at the stirring tents, the two separated, though they let their hands keep connected for a few seconds, and then broke apart. Lina rushed back into her tent, pretending she'd been there all along just as Zelgadis came out of his and walked over to Gourry and sat down.

" So," Zelgadis said. " Nice night wasn't it?"

" Very," Gourry said, grinning slightly. Zelgadis just smiled a little and stood back up.

" Better break up camp and getting moving soon," he said, looking at the paling sky, " Xellos might have kittens if we don't cover a certain amount of ground each day."

" Indeed!" Xellos said, from just on top of Zelgadis's head, causing the stone man to faceplant into the sand. " We should be getting a move on."

" Why must you always do that?" Zelgadis asked, spitting sand as Gourry helped him back up.

" Sore wa…," Xellos suddenly shrugged. " Because it's fun."

Zelgadis faceplanted again, this time taking Gourry with him.

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I can't write romance scenes at all can I? *Laughs* And that was the easy couple! 


	8. Who is Xellos seeing?

Authors Note: Only one couple left! I shall cause little prince and princess Chimeras to run around the fic and terrorize the spell-check! Oh the little pitter-patter of stone feet! Oh the copy right infringements! Hehehehehehehe!

Who's Xellos seeing?

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After they'd set out, Lina started grilling Xellos about where he was going every evening. Not that she wasn't thankful for his being gone the other evening, but she was Lina Inverse, snoop master, and she wasn't about to let a mystery go unsolved. However, Xellos hadn't trademarked 'Sore wa himitsu desu' without reason. He steadfastly refused to reveal where he was going or what was going on, and only Lina's want of treasure kept her from turning around and heading back north. On the bright side, she reflected, if he hadn't dragged her and Gourry south, they wouldn't have come to their small understanding. They'd yet again set camp, with Xellos disappearing, and spent another quiet night in the desert before setting out in the morning. Lina started complaining quickly and only quick action from Gourry prevented her from 'Freeze Brittle!' ing them all where they stood. Amelia just quietly accepted the heat while Zelgadis ignored it the same way he tended to ignore Lina when she was angry. Gourry, meanwhile, was pretending that he wasn't enjoying having Lina flung over his shoulder. Gourry had wrapped his arms around Lina and swung her over his shoulder in one quick move after she'd thrown her hands out and started shouting her spell. However, as much as she too had enjoyed Gourry swinging her through the air, there was only so much Lina Inverse could take.

" Gourry," she growled, her hand balling up into a fist and her eyes closing while she searched for patience. " If you don't put me down right now I'm going to make it hard for you to walk in minute."

He put her down and they continued walking, Gourry and Lina towards the front and Zelgadis and Amelia towards the rear. Xellos took the lead position.

" We should stop for water," Amelia said, after they'd passed a small spring. " This desert isn't disappearing and we don't know when the next time we'll come across running water again."

" That spring is poisoned," Xellos said knowledgeably.

" How do you know?" Lina asked sourly. " How many times have you been here?"

" He's right though," Zelgadis said, startling the group. He'd been unusually quiet since they'd seen Gourry and Lina snuggled up yesterday. " I've been through this area before, and that spring just isn't safe."

" Oh," Amelia said, bringing her hand up to her mouth as she thought. " This is awfully far south from the kingdom though, what were you doing down here?"

Zelgadis stared down at the road for so long that Amelia though he was ignoring her and quickly blushed and bowed her head. Catching the motion from the corner of his eye and sensing what she was thinking, he hastened to explain.

" I was searching for a cure." He said, staring off into the distance. " I had heard a rumor about a piece of the staff of the gods being down here and came looking. It wasn't it, and so I explored the area around here and set off north again."

Amelia looked at Zelgadis and then back down. Ye gods, she thought, he was still looking for that cure? Well she supposed he'd never be really happy until he found it, and so she'd better get used to that. She just hoped that he didn't take off in the night if he heard a rumor or something.

" You take off in the night 'cause of a rumor or something and I'll flatten you." Lina warned, looking over her shoulder with a balled fist and jaunty grin. " This is a mystery quest, just like the one when we had to fight Valgaav with Jilias and --- what the hell is wrong with you?" She directed the last part at Xellos because he'd stumbled over a rock and then spun around to look at Lina. 

" Just a rock," he said, quickly recovering and grinning at them. " The heat must be getting to me."

" You're a lousy liar," Lina said grimacing. " Mazuko don't feel heat and they don't stumble…wait a minute!" Her face took on a feral look of glee as she put two and two together. " I know what you mphhh!" Her mouth was covered by Xellos's gloved hand as she was about to shout her brainstorm to the world. 

" We'll be right back," Xellos said, just before teleporting them out of sight. Gourry grimaced, turned around, walked the short distance back to the spring, and then sat under a small tree. Zelgadis and Amelia, after sharing a short, confused, glance, turned around and joined him.

" What was that all about?" Zelgadis asked.

" I have no idea," Amelia sighed as she sat down. " I think Lina must've realized who Xellos was seeing."

" Who? You mean--" Gourry was abruptly cut off as Prince Phil was seen riding furiously down the road, chasing a Kitsune with a white patch on the end of it's tail.

" In the name of justice accept your punishment!" Prince Phil roared, swinging his fist over his head, his hair flying and eyes blazing. " You've committed such sins! Admit and become pure!"

The small group in the shade stared in amazement as the small fox gave them a 'He's completely physco look' and took off for places unknown.

" They really won't let us turn this show serious," Zelgadis said, rubbing his forehead. 

" To-san!" Amelia said, her face full of embarrassment.

" Wow," Gourry commented, leaning out of the shade and putting his hand over his eyes to shade them. " I didn't know that foxes lived in the desert."

Amelia and Zelgadis got a small sweatdrop and lost their balance. Amelia was about to explain to Gourry that those types of foxes don't live in the desert when Xellos and Lina reappeared with a loud pop.

" Who's he seeing?" Zelgadis asked before either one could say a word.

" You mean Filia?" Gourry asked Zelgadis.

They all facevaulted, even Xellos, who pulled himself up shakily. His eye twitched and his face clearly read disbelief. Lina meanwhile, had jumped onto Gourry's head and pounded it with her fist.

" Why didn't you tell us earlier?" She roared. " I've been racking my brains here and you---"

" I didn't think it was terribly important!" Gourry said, covering himself with his arms. " It was just something I knew!"

" Animal instinct," Zelgadis said to Amelia, who looked rather shocked. " No matter what, Gourry seems to be able to see past Xellos's stupidest schemes to keep his secrets secret."

" Lina…I…can't…feel…my…body!" Gourry gasped. Growling a 'Serves you right,' she let him go.

" I don't believe that this is happening!" Zelgadis said, getting up. " I've got to go think."

" Hold it right there buddy," Lina said. Zelgadis stood still, knowing without turning around that Lina had a spell with his name on it if he didn't. " You're not going anywhere until Xellos clears this up with everybody."

" I think…not." Xellos said, and then teleported away.

" Xellos," Lina seethed in a low voice, her eyes flaming. " Get Back Here Right Now!" She pulled the thick blade out of the air, hissing and cracking and brought it down, slicing through the air. For a second it didn't look like anything had happened, but then, after about two more seconds, the air split and a dazed Xellos fell through the now open pocket dimension and landed in a heap at Lina's feet. " Now Xellos, explain." Lina said, looming over the dazed demon.

" What's to explain?"

" Xelllooooooossssssssss!" 

" All will be explained when we get to where we're going." Xellos said, disappearing again, but this time Lina didn't forcefully yank him back. Instead, she dropped to her seat and leaned back against a tree.

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I apologize for the extreme delay in getting this out and the shortness of the chapter. I'm moving you see and it's kind of hard to write when your trying to decide how to tell your parents you're getting rid of the heirlooms so you can move all your anime merchandise. . However, I've got some ideas for Chapter nine. I want to go slow with Zel and Amelia as they aren't as impulsive as Gourry and Lina. I'd feel very out of character if I made them declare love out of nowhere and for no reason, besides the fact that, why yes, they are.


	9. A little wine with your date?

Slow and steady drives this author crazy 

Slow and steady drives this author crazy 

Slow and steady drives this author crazy 

Slow and steady drives this author crazy 

Slow and steady drives this author crazy 

Those two are going to be the end of me 

Slow and steady drives this author crazy 

Slow and steady drives this author crazy 

Slow and steady drives this author crazy 

Slow and steady drives this author crazy 

Slow and steady drives this author crazy

********************************************************************************

" I've been through too much," she said, closing her eyes. " I didn't get enough sleep to handle this, wake me in a couple of hours." And with that she was apparently out. 

Gourry settled himself carefully next to her and closed his eyes also, leaving Zelgadis and Amelia blushing as they averted their eyes from each other. After they had both gotten comfortable on the shady side of a tree, Zelgadis pulled his hood over his face and closed his eyes, acutely aware that Amelia was not three feet from him.

" Amelia," Zelgadis said, before he'd actually realized that he'd said something and startling her, and himself, rather badly.

" Yes," Amelia said, keeping her eyes averted. Every time he talked to her she had to resist the urge to blush like a tomato and not looking at him helped her a lot.

" Ah..." He tried to figure out what he was going to say to her. Seeing his cloak, he seized on an inspiration. " Would you like to, ah, use my, this for a pillow?"

Amelia looked at him and felt a funny feeling in her stomach. Should she? He had made the offer, and she didn't want to seem rude...

" Thank you," she smiled a smile of such love, and justice, at him that had him blush a little. He turned around and leaned up against the palm tree, trying to seem nonchalant, which he accomplished...almost, that is, until a group of dates fell from the tree overhead and smacked him in the head.

" ZELGADIS-SAN!"

He winced, the over-ripe fruit juices staining his hair and running down his face. 

This could not end well.

Lina, peacefully ensconced in the sounds of gold coins tinkling through her head, slept on. Amelia however, was at Zelgadis's side, trying desperately to chose between reaching out and helping, or being too foreword. Viewing her torn face and almost hearing the mental argument that she was undoubtedly having in her mind, Zelgadis, frazzled beyond all reason from A) Xellos, B) Lina, C) Some dates rediscovering the earthly roots, and D) Realizing that he was actually attracted to Amelia, decided to take some initiative. 

" Amelia, would it be a little too much to ask if I could get some help here?"

The shame that filled her easily readable face filled him with guilt

That was NOT how that was supposed to have sounded!

" I meant, I don't know how I'm going to clean both my clothes and my hair at the same time and...and...

I have no idea where the hell I'm taking this! Where the hell am I taking this?!

" No problem," Amelia said, her face hidden by her hair as she got to her feet. Her face lifted, smiling, eyes shut and happy looking. " Why don't you go change into some spare clothes of Gourry-san's and I'll take your clothes and wash them down at the spring while you wash your hair. The water may not be safe to drink, but it should be safe to wash with."

" Thank...you..." Zelgadis said, sighing. What was wrong with the world when Amelia would be the level headed one and he was ruled by unconscious urges?

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[The authoress leaned against her own palm tree with Xellos feeding her grapes]

Kats: *Flashing a Papa-san smile and a victory sign* " Yeah!"

Xellos: " And they all think its Filia..."

Kats: " Hush slave boy, more grapes."

[If you get where the Papa-san reference came from you get bonus points]

Yheah yheah, I know. Long frikkin time no update. But…but…yheah…um…shit does happen and I beg for your forgiveness. Some really happy shit has happened to me, and some really rather nasty stuff as well, so I suppose you could say I was having writers block and got rather distracted. I know this is a short chapter, but I'll hopefully have more soon. Much buena to you all, and remember

MUCHA LUCHA

*coughs*


End file.
